by MMAJunkie.com Staff, USA TODAY

by MMAJunkie.com Staff, USA TODAY

Two days after his 19-second knockout win over Philip De Fries, UFC heavyweight Matt Mitrione has had his contract suspended by the promotion.

In a Monday appearance on The MMA Hour, Mitrione called Fallon Fox a "lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak."

In response, the UFC issued a statement saying the TUF 10 veteran's contract has been suspended and he will be investigated.

"The UFC was appalled by the transphobic comments made by heavyweight Matt Mitrione today in an interview on 'The MMA Hour,'" the statement read. "The organization finds Mr. Mitrione's comments offensive and wholly unacceptable and â?? as a direct result of this significant breach of the UFC's code of conduct â?? Mr. Mitrione's UFC contract has been suspended and the incident is being investigated. The UFC is a friend and ally of the (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, and expects and requires all 450 of its athletes to treat others with dignity and respect."

The UFC in January announced a code of conduct for its fighters under contract.

Fox has been a near-permanent fixture in MMA news for the better part of the past month after SI.com reported that Fox, 37, had gender reassignment surgery in 2006 along with supplemental hormonal therapy.

Fox holds a 5-0 combined record as a professional and amateur fighter with all five wins coming in the first round. But the controversy has been centered around her potential opponents and whether they're entering into fair fights with her.

Peggy Morgan recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) she wasn't convinced that Fox didn't hold a physical advantage over other women in the cage, despite the fact that "socially, yes, she is a woman."

In the interview, Mitrione repeated referred to Fox as "he" and "him" and said he was "appalled" by Fox fighting other women.

"It's an embarrassment to us as fighters, as a sport, and we all should protest that," Mitrione said. "The woman that's fighting him, props to you. I hope you beat his ass, and I hope he gets blackballed and never fights again because that's disgusting and I'm appalled by that."

Mitrione (6-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on Saturday snapped a two-fight losing skid at UFC on FUEL TV 9 when he stopped De Fries quickly in the first round in Sweden. How quickly, if at all, he'll be allowed back in the octagon to go after a second straight win remains to be seen.

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